four physicians were found responsible in 73 written complaints of medical errors filed last year with the Medical Commission of the Jeddah Health Department, said director of Jeddah Health Department Dr. Sami Ba-Dawood. However, the number of unreported medical errors may exceed this figure by far. Ba-Dawood's comments came during a workshop organized Tuesday by the National Human Association (NHRA) in Makkah region dubbed ‘Medical Errors and Role of Responsible Authorities. The workshop was attended by members of NHRA, the Shoura Council, and civil society organizations. NHRA criticized the mismanagement of the health care sector, prompting the ministry to create a balance between the rights of physicians and patients. It also called for transparency and shake-up of the legal medical commission at the ministry for fair investigation into medical complaints. Patients should be informed of their rights to file a complaint of any suspected medical error, if not in person, through a calling center, the workshop called on Ministry of Health. “There must be a tight mechanism for selecting the members of the medical commission that currently includes administrative staff who are not closely related to medical practice,” said general supervisor of Amal Hospital in Jeddah Dr. Muhammad Shawoosh. He called for setting up an association to support and protect the rights of physicians, an idea backed by Dr. Abdullah Al-Matrafi from Zamzam Medical Society. – Okaz __
